


The Empress & The Pauper

by tnnyoh



Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-11-03 02:43:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10958004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tnnyoh/pseuds/tnnyoh
Summary: Two fifteen year olds, one an empress and one a street urchin narrowly escaping death at the hands of depraved cultists meet through a tear in time and the pair set out on a whirlwind adventure.





	1. The Empress' Day, The Pauper's Night

**Author's Note:**

> some might have questions about how I am portraying the young Outsider directly after his trauma, but for right now I am going to have him showing signs of paranoia and anger that will change throughout the story. 
> 
> ______________
> 
> It will be established that this young boy does not in fact know his name at all, he has lived out on the streets for years, his father never spoke his name and he has no other family to speak of, He will get a name later on in the story.

Emily Kaldwin was the Empress of The Isles, Empresses had many duties and responsibilities, but at the age of fifteen years old, Emily would rather spend her time daydreaming, she often did during her royal meetings, but today it got her in trouble.  
"Empress" Lord Protector Corvo Attano spoke softly "The gentleman is speaking to you" Emily snapped of her reverie and looked at the man in front of her, a nobleman from somewhere outside Morley "Oh dear" Emily said "Where are my manners, I am so sorry Sir Egelton" she said with an apologetic look.  
He waved her apology away with his hand "No problem at all dear, Back at home, many times the lords and ladies become quite exhausted by the day's activities, you must be twice as tired as them, keeping up with the empire as well as your studies" He said "I commend you for your grace, and I thank you for meeting with me today" He gave her a bow "More of my people will be in contact shortly" He said before letting the guards see him out of the tower.  
"Lord Protector" Emily said, turning to her father after the man departed "Do I have any more appointments today?"  
"One, with your father, you're supposed to have dinner with him"  
Emily groaned "But I..."  
"Emily" Corvo said "Between your duties as Empress and your duties as a student, I don't get very much time with you, and we live in the same tower"  
Emily stepped down from the throne and sighed "Yes father, I will be ready for dinner" He smiled at her and placed his hand on her shoulder "Better rush off to get those studies for the day finished"  
"I miss my old Governess" Emily whined  
Corvo frowned "Callista had other callings, Emily, Emilla is just as qualified to teach you"  
"But she's so stuffy and boring" Emily crossed her arms "And besides, she never lets me ask questions"  
"Well," Corvo said, walking with his daughter up the stairs to the second level "You have a lesson plan, are your questions deviating from that?"  
"No" Emily lied  
Corvo chuckled "I don't want you to stop asking questions and learning about things that interest you, Emily, but Emilla's lesson plans are laid out to teach you about certain points in history"  
"She won't even tell me stories about The Outsider," She said, not noticing her father stiffen at the words  
"It is not a subject allowed to be taught, The Abbey considers those stories to be heretical," Corvo said as they stopped in front of Emily's chambers  
"What's the big deal? They are just stories" Emily said with an eye roll as if to express her distaste against The Abbey's rules.  Corvo merely shrugged "I don't know Emily, the Abbey has their reasons, I suppose", he opened her door for her "Good luck with your studies, I'll be back here to pick you up for our dinner meeting"  
Emily smiled at her father and kissed him on his cheek "I love you father" he nodded "I love you too, Emily"  
  
* * * *   
  
While Emily was starting on her studies in the beautiful tower that caught the eye of everyone in Dunwall, a boy about the same age staggered down an alley in a very different city, perhaps even in a different time, holding his side and struggling to stay upright.  
"Help!" the boy screamed "Help me!" he was trying to get the attention of someone, anyone, having just narrowly escaped from a fate he assumed worse than death.  
He collapsed out of the alley, a woman wearing a long black coat ran towards him "Oh my dear!" She said, "Are you, alright young man?"  
He grabbed the woman by her coat "They tried to kill me" He gasped  
She put her hand to her mouth "Who has done this to you?!"  
He collapsed and fell to a sleep that he wasn't woken from until much later, in a bed located inside the home of the woman who had run to him.  
He blinked and sat up, his surroundings unfamiliar, he thought he had been kidnapped again, maybe he was back with the crazy cultists in a different location this time.  
The woman came into the room with a copper tray filled with treats, breakfast items and the like  
"Hello," She said "I see you're finally awake" She smiled  
His eyes widened in horror, he had no idea who this woman was, what if she was one of them? What if this was a ruse to trick him into comfort so he would be caught unawares?  
"I won't eat any of that! It's likely you've poisoned it!"  
The woman gasped, taken aback by the boy's hostility "I have done no such thing!"  
She set the tray down on the night table, he eyed it suspiciously "Take a bite of the food then" he demanded "If it is not positioned, as you claim, you would have no issues eating it"  
She grabbed a chunk of the bread and dipped it into the bowl of stew, eating it in several bites "There" She said with a shrug "Is that proof enough?"  
"I'll wait, poison takes a time to kick in," He said, crossing his arms and eyeing the woman as though he expected her to pull out that horrific dagger.  
"How would you know a thing about poison?" She inquired  
"I've seen rats die from it," He said simply  
The woman sat on the bed, looking at the ceiling "While we're waiting, I suppose you wouldn't like to tell me what happened"  
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" He said bitterly "Love to know just how I got away"  
She frowned "You seem to think I'm one of these people that hurt you" She shook her head "I assure you I have nothing to do with anyone who would hurt a child or anyone else for that matter!"  
"I am no child," he said incredulously  
She rose from the bed "I shall retire to the other rooms, please shout if you need me, and if I shall die from the poison you will know if the food is safe" She left the room with a twirl of her bright red hair  
The young man sat for a while, staring at his hands, rubbing the rope marks on his wrists, flashes of the horrific event assaulted his mind and he slapped himself as though it would help. He would never be able to sleep again, he decided.  
  
He eyed the tray once more and grabbed the bread.  
  



	2. Once caged, Once free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strange things are happening in Dunwall, starting with the appearance of a mysterious boy.

Emily's studies were interrupted several times, once by a bird flying into the glass, landing on the sil and taking off again in a dizzy haze, and again by the loud song of the whales.  She was used to their songs during the whaling season, but it was a little too early for that right now, she pushed her books aside and hopped off her bed to look out the window.  
  
She could see most of the city from here, including the harbor where the whales were brought in, she cringed a little at the thought of the slaughter houses.  She was Empress, and yet each time she tried to do something about this cruelty she was meant with anger and doubtfulness about her ability to lead.  
  
She took in a big breath of the fresh afternoon air.  
  
Bored of her studies she didn't see the harm of sneaking out of the tower to walk along the roof for a little bit, Getting away from her duties was usually the highlight of her day. Some called her a bad leader, it was not that Emily didn't care about the Empire, it's just as she believed she would never be the crown jewel that her mother was.  She would never live up to the expectations of The Empire, or of herself.  
  
She carefully climbed out onto the ledge and then pulled herself up to the roof, She had been sneaking around the rooftops since she was twelve years old, several years after she had begged her father to start teaching her how to fight.  
  
Emily had been training with Corvo for a while, she was capable enough that if she got into a fist fight she would be able to defend herself and if need be, neutralize her attacker or attackers.   She had been astounded by Corvo's fighting skills, she knew that he was a good fighter but she had never seen anything like it in her life.  
  
She walked along the buildings' rooftops, She had always liked it up here, she was able to spy on the citizens of Dunwall, to see the things that Empress's normally don't see.  Like the sight of a fifteen-year-old boy materializing in the middle of the street, Emily gasped and nearly lost her footing as she watched the boy.  
  
He was sickly pale with jet black hair.  He looked like he wasn't from Dunwall, that much was certain.  She dropped down into one of the narrow alley's and watched the boy from behind fences and buildings as he stumbled through the streets.  What was he doing here? She thought, Was he lost? Injured?  
  
And more importantly, where did he come from? How... did he do what he just did?  
  
Emily had heard rumors about magic, stories about people possessing immense powers granted to them by The Outsider, maybe this boy was one of those people?    
  
Emily kept trailing him from afar, not knowing where he was headed, just knowing she was more interested in this than going back to her studies.  
  



End file.
